u/CouldntBAPoint2184

Look, I'm gonna cut to the chase: the following is a summary of a lengthy chat I had with Google AI because there is absolutely no way I can comprehend enough to summarize the chat myself, I'm a n00b, the AI seemed as confused as I was, and I'm getting exhausted with this.

I’m dealing with a persistent "Dummy Output" audio issue on a brand new build and could use some advice from anyone running modern Intel architectures.

My Hardware & System Profile:

• OS: Linux Mint 22.3 Zena (Cinnamon)
• Kernel: 7.0.0-28-generic (Required to support my GPU)
• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (Arrow Lake platform)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (Driver: v570+)
• Motherboard: MSI

The Core Problem:

My primary motherboard audio controller is completely unmanaged by the system (driver: N/A), while my Nvidia card handles HDMI audio perfectly. Because of this, my default desktop audio displays as a Dummy Output.

Here is my inxi -Axxx output:

text

Audio:
  Device-1: NVIDIA driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s
    lanes: 16 bus-ID: 02:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:22e9 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: Intel vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: N/A bus-ID: 80:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:7f50 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k7.0.0-28-generic status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.5 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active
  Server-2: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: off (using pipewire-pulse)

The "Smoking Gun" Log:

When examining dmesg | grep -E "hda|dsp|sof", the Sound Open Firmware (SOF) probe fails explicitly with this message:

text

[ 3.494543] sof-audio-pci-intel-mtl 0000:80:1f.3: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[ 3.494737] sof-audio-pci-intel-mtl 0000:80:1f.3: the DSP is not enabled on this platform, aborting probe

Use code with caution.

Note: I checked my MSI BIOS; HD Audio Controller is physically enabled.

Everything Tried So Far (and the Results):

1. Firmware Updates: Reinstalled firmware-sof-signed and alsa-ucm-conf to ensure Arrow Lake topology files are present. Result: No change.
2. PipeWire Cache Purge: Stopped audio services and cleared out ~/.local/state/wireplumber/* and ~/.config/pulse. Result: No change.
3. Modprobe DSP Overrides: Attempted to drop files into /etc/modprobe.d/ forcing dsp_driver=3, dsp_driver=4, and dsp_driver=1 with full power-rail flushes (unplugging desktop). Result: Driver stayed N/A.
4. GRUB Boot Parameter Overrides: Discovered that a bootloader line was hard-locking snd_intel_dspcfg.dsp_driver=3. Modified /etc/default/grub to target dsp_driver=1 (legacy fallback mode) and ran update-grub. Result: dmesg confirmed the boot flag changed to =1, but the 800-series chip (chip-ID 8086:7f50) refused to map to snd_hda_intel and remained at driver: N/A.
5. Kernel Downgrade Note: Downgrading to a stable 6.x kernel is not an option because it risks breaking the display stack for the RTX 5070 Ti.

Has anyone with a Core Ultra / Arrow Lake platform running an early 7.0 kernel found a specific combination of kernel parameters, custom topology patches, or newer daily ALSA packages that forces the kernel to actually claim this 8086:7f50 chip architecture? Any guidance is appreciated!

Specs:

PC: MSI Aegis R2 AI

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9

GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070ti

Here's what I've tried:

The recommended Nvidia driver via the driver manager; Optix would not show up in Blender with this.

Installing latest Nvidia driver (595) via the terminal; "can't communicate with driver" error (I'm at work for the next seven hours, I can't remember it verbatim right now). Screenfetch showed my Intel chip in both the CPU and GPU categories.

I have updated my BIOS to the latest version.

Disabling secure boot led to black screen. Had to enable secure boot just to get my computer running again.

You might suggest to update the kernel; I already have the latest Mint kernel (7.0)--or at least that's what my update manager tells me? Do I need a specific kernel, or do I need an older one?

I'm at a total loss. I'm brand new to Linux, my head hurts, and I am really trying not to go back to Windows. Don't even get me started on the fact that I still can't get my speakers to make sound after at least three hours of troubleshooting...

What am I doing wrong??😭

I just bought one... and realized the mistake I made by not seeing the YouTube reviews! Ouch! Everyone slammed Corsair for their absolutely incompetent cooling design for their CPU (120mm radiator for an i9 was apparently NOT GOOD. I just wanted liquid cooling 😭)

Here are the specs on mine: Intel Core i9-14900F, GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5, 1TB M.2 SSD

Good news is I have pretty much only unboxed it, and kept all the packaging. I'm stressed out, but ultimately I should be able to return it and get a refund. Hopefully. But here's the thing: the reviews are largely from one to two years ago. My PC still has a 120mm cooler for the CPU, but something on the site caught my eye since I've been looking at everything again:

"Maximized thermal efficiency with Tri-spoke vent design"

Does this mean they've finally listened to all the bad feedback and improved their cooling? Does anybody happen to know if Corsair One was improved with this since 2024? Or should I just send it back, get a refund, and look harder for a better PC?

It'll suck if I have to return it, but honestly... I can live with the delay. That's what I get for being a layman 💀